Foster's joins major food brands in committing to be GM-free

Four major Australian food brands have committed to avoiding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in their products.

Foster’s, Nestlé, Schweppes and Lindt have undertaken to keep their Australian brands free from genetically engineered ingredients, joining other Australian brands that include VB, Milo, Uncle Toby’s cereal and Peters Ice Cream.

The 2010 Truefood Guide released by Greenpeace, which rates over one thousand of Australia’s top food and beverage brands for the presence of genetically engineered ingredients, revealed the news.

The Biological Farmers of Australia organisation says this is a significant win for consumers seeking no GMOs.

“(But) despite this latest win, GMOs are increasingly finding their way into many common foods,” it stated in media release.

“Equally disturbing is the fact that due to loose labelling laws in Australia, most foods aren’t required to declare that ingredients are genetically modified on labelling, and consumers end up unwittingly consuming GMOs.”

The organisation advised people wanting to avoid genetically modified food to acquire the Greenpeace Truefood pocket guide (www.truefood.org.au), or to look for organic certification logos on food labelling, such as the Australian Certified Organic 'Bud' logo.